Resurrection Day
Encyclopedia
Resurrection Day is a novel
written by Brendan DuBois
in 1999. It is an alternate history where the Cuban Missile Crisis
escalated to a full scale war, the Soviet Union is devastated, and the USA has been reduced to a third-rate power, relying on Britain for aid. Resurrection Day won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History
that year.
and the United States
, the book chronicles the investigations of Carl Landry, a reporter for the Boston Globe. As the story unravels, Carl attempts to uncover the events leading up to the war, while at the same time running from those who would have the truth buried.
The story begins in 1972, ten years after the global war which followed the Cuban missile crisis. Washington, D.C.
, New York
, Omaha
, San Diego, Miami and other American cities, principally those surrounding military bases, have been destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by Soviet nuclear attacks. Philadelphia is the capital of the United States, and although a civilian President is nominally in office, the USA is effectively under martial law. The Soviet Union has been utterly devastated by US nuclear strikes. Cuba is an atomic ruin, with Spain responsible for relief efforts aiding what is left of the island's population.
One consequence of the war is that America's embroilment in Vietnam
is abruptly curtailed. US military personnel in South Vietnam (and indeed across the world) are withdrawn in order to stabilise the USA in the aftermath of the Soviet missile and air strikes. The text of the novel also makes it clear that the People's Republic of China
has collapsed, with numerous regional warlord
s waging a civil conflict against each other.
US nuclear strikes on the Soviet Union led to the collapse of the Warsaw Pact
, and also to the release of a massive fallout cloud over much of Asia, killing further millions after the destruction of the USSR. As a consequence, many governments regard members of the US Air Force (USAF) as war criminals, and its servicemen are advised not to travel abroad. After the 1962 war, nearly all the remaining countries of the globe have renounced possession of nuclear weapons. The USA alone retains an atomic arsenal.
Europe survived the war largely unscathed. NATO collapsed almost as soon as hostilities commenced, and France and (a united) Germany now preside over the continent. Britain remains an ally of the USA, and actually assists in post-war reconstruction efforts in US states hit hardest by the war. While British aid is welcome, there is also a sense of resentment in America over excessive dependence on the UK. The presence of British and Canadian military personnel in the USA is also a source of contention, with some Americans wondering whether their allies possess ulterior motives.
The story covers two parallel plot-lines. The first involves Landry's attempts to discover what happened in Washington DC in October 1962. US military propaganda accounts maintain that the Cuban war broke out because of John F. Kennedy
's recklessness and incompetence, these claims are generally believed. Kennedy and his officials are regarded as butchers and war criminals and the only senior surviving member of JFK's administration - McGeorge Bundy
- is imprisoned in Fort Leavenworth. In contrast, US military commanders (notably the Chief of the Air Force, General Curtis) are portrayed as the saviours of the nation. During the course of the novel Landry gradually discovers that it was Kennedy who sought to prevent the crisis over Cuba from escalating into war, and that last minute attempts to achieve a deal with Nikita Khrushchev
to end the crisis were deliberately sabotaged by Curtis and other generals.
The second plot-line concerns Anglo-American relations. Landry and a British journalist - Sandra Price - discover that elements within the British government and security services are plotting a military takeover (or anschluss
) of the United States. This plan is under way near the end of the novel, and is called off at the last minute.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by Brendan DuBois
Brendan DuBois
Brendan DuBois is an American mystery fiction and suspense writer. In this field he has won a Shamus Award for Best Short Story of the Year. He also had his short story "The Dark Snow'" published in Best American Mystery Stories of the Century edited by Otto Penzler and Tony Hillerman ISBN 0618012710...
in 1999. It is an alternate history where the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
escalated to a full scale war, the Soviet Union is devastated, and the USA has been reduced to a third-rate power, relying on Britain for aid. Resurrection Day won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History
Sidewise Award for Alternate History
The Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year.The awards take their name from the 1934 short story "Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in which a strange storm causes portions of Earth to swap places with...
that year.
Plot summary
Set in the aftermath of a nuclear war between the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the book chronicles the investigations of Carl Landry, a reporter for the Boston Globe. As the story unravels, Carl attempts to uncover the events leading up to the war, while at the same time running from those who would have the truth buried.
The story begins in 1972, ten years after the global war which followed the Cuban missile crisis. Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
, San Diego, Miami and other American cities, principally those surrounding military bases, have been destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by Soviet nuclear attacks. Philadelphia is the capital of the United States, and although a civilian President is nominally in office, the USA is effectively under martial law. The Soviet Union has been utterly devastated by US nuclear strikes. Cuba is an atomic ruin, with Spain responsible for relief efforts aiding what is left of the island's population.
One consequence of the war is that America's embroilment in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
is abruptly curtailed. US military personnel in South Vietnam (and indeed across the world) are withdrawn in order to stabilise the USA in the aftermath of the Soviet missile and air strikes. The text of the novel also makes it clear that the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
has collapsed, with numerous regional warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
s waging a civil conflict against each other.
US nuclear strikes on the Soviet Union led to the collapse of the Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
, and also to the release of a massive fallout cloud over much of Asia, killing further millions after the destruction of the USSR. As a consequence, many governments regard members of the US Air Force (USAF) as war criminals, and its servicemen are advised not to travel abroad. After the 1962 war, nearly all the remaining countries of the globe have renounced possession of nuclear weapons. The USA alone retains an atomic arsenal.
Europe survived the war largely unscathed. NATO collapsed almost as soon as hostilities commenced, and France and (a united) Germany now preside over the continent. Britain remains an ally of the USA, and actually assists in post-war reconstruction efforts in US states hit hardest by the war. While British aid is welcome, there is also a sense of resentment in America over excessive dependence on the UK. The presence of British and Canadian military personnel in the USA is also a source of contention, with some Americans wondering whether their allies possess ulterior motives.
The story covers two parallel plot-lines. The first involves Landry's attempts to discover what happened in Washington DC in October 1962. US military propaganda accounts maintain that the Cuban war broke out because of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's recklessness and incompetence, these claims are generally believed. Kennedy and his officials are regarded as butchers and war criminals and the only senior surviving member of JFK's administration - McGeorge Bundy
McGeorge Bundy
McGeorge "Mac" Bundy was United States National Security Advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson from 1961 through 1966, and president of the Ford Foundation from 1966 through 1979...
- is imprisoned in Fort Leavenworth. In contrast, US military commanders (notably the Chief of the Air Force, General Curtis) are portrayed as the saviours of the nation. During the course of the novel Landry gradually discovers that it was Kennedy who sought to prevent the crisis over Cuba from escalating into war, and that last minute attempts to achieve a deal with Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
to end the crisis were deliberately sabotaged by Curtis and other generals.
The second plot-line concerns Anglo-American relations. Landry and a British journalist - Sandra Price - discover that elements within the British government and security services are plotting a military takeover (or anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
) of the United States. This plan is under way near the end of the novel, and is called off at the last minute.
Major characters
- Carl Landry – protagonist; served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam before and California after the conflict.
- Sandra "Sandy" Price – British newspaper reporter and undercover operative for MI6
- General Ramsey "Rammer" Curtis – fictional United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
general responsible for the Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile CrisisThe Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
escalating into worldwide nuclear war; based on General Curtis LeMayCurtis LeMayCurtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968.... - "Two-Tone" – homeless man in Carl's neighborhood; veteran of the Cuban army's tactical nuclear strike on the invasion forces.
Locations
- Tyler Air Force Station, New York – fictional United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base located on the outskirts of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... - Boston, Massachusetts
See also
- WardayWardayWarday is a novel by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka, first published in 1984. It is a fictionalized account of the authors traveling across America five years after a limited nuclear attack in order to assess how the nation had changed after the war. The novel takes the form of a research...
, another scenario about a limited nuclear exchange between the USA and the USSR.